Creative Careers

A lot of people think they’d “like to do something more creative”. The first piece of advice is: go right ahead and create, this is absolutely an area where actions speak louder than words.

You'll face a lot of competition and need the right combination of qualifications, skills, experience and personal qualities; most people working in the creative industries are graduates.

Everybody is creative to some extent and most jobs require some creativity. Ideas come from everywhere and are not the purlieu of a particular set of employees, the security guard or accounts clerk are as likely to come up with a bright idea as the marketing director.

Art and design - you will probably need a practical degree in your specific area of interest, such as creative pattern cutting, interior design or photography. If you need to retrain then look for a practical programme that provides hands-on experience which employers value.

Performing arts - work experience is at least as important but a qualification from an industry-recognised school may improve your chances of employment.

Museum and art gallery work - a degree in art history, museum studies or heritage studies is desirable. A subject relevant to museum or gallery collections might be advantageous, like fine art, conservation, history or photography.

Publishing - a degree and a subject-specific degree is likely to be useful for scientific, medical or education publishing.

Secure an internship

Work experience, internships and voluntary work can help you to learn and develop the skills needed and are often the route into employment in the creative sector. You will gain insight into industry practices and make contacts while gaining confidence.

Find a creative apprenticeship

Most creative professionals enter the sector with a degree but the number of creative apprenticeships and art apprenticeships is increasing. Creative apprenticeship opportunities span all levels from intermediate through to degree.

Build a portfolio

Particularly for art and design roles, as well as an undergraduate qualification and relevant experience, you'll need a portfolio of work to showcase your talent. Include samples of your best and most recent work, to demonstrate to employers what you can do. Show your creative vision and abilities with illustrations, sketches, design concepts and photographs to showcase your subject knowledge, artistic skill and creative, original thinking. Remember to showcase quality not quantity, you will only be given limited time at interview so show your best work – the stuff you are proud of.

Network, network, network

The creative industries are highly competitive and many jobs are not formally advertised. With the right qualifications and work experience you will still need to network assiduously in order to attract attention. Keep up to date with networking events, conferences and workshops as useful opportunities to meet industry professionals and market yourself. Use social media, Twitter and LinkedIn, to follow and connect with industry professionals and seek out work. Blogging can be useful to show ability in creating content, designing, making or crafting. To increase your chances of finding work or to move towards self-employment, you could consider showing your work on websites such as Hiive https://app.hiive.co.uk/